Home for the Holidays
by Aaunty Pasta
Summary: Neelix ties to integrate the EquinoxVoyager crews by celebrating the holidays


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Home for the Holidays

By Pamala Rush

Synopsis: Neelix takes steps to integrate the Equinox by suggesting the celebration of the holidays of the planets of several crewmembers including Vulcan Da'tere, Klingon Day of Honor, Bajoran Gratitude Festival, and Terran Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Disclaimer: The characters and such herein belong to Paramount. The songs belong to whoever wrote them and "The Night Before Christmas" is public domain. (So there ;-P~) The story belongs to me and no infringement is intended as no money is being made.

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"Is that all the business there is today?" Kathryn Janeway asked her crew, Chakotay, Tuvok, Seven, B'Elanna Torres, the holographic doctor, Tom Paris, and Harry Kim, as they sat around the table for the morning briefing.

After a short pause, Neelix spoke. "Captain, I've canceled tonight's potluck dinner."

"I heard," Janeway replied. "Didn't you plan that so the crew could integrate with the people from Equinox?"

"I have decided," Neelix began. "To celebrate the holidays."

"Holidays?"

"Holidays," Neelix replied.

"What holidays are you talking about Neelix?" B'Elanna asked.

"Well," Neelix said as he leaned forward in his chair. "Next Thursday we start with the Terran Thanksgiving. Crewman Dayton suggested a few things for the celebrations."

"Dayton?" Janeway queried. "One of the former Equinox crew?"

Neelix nodded. "Tammie Dayton is the kind of person who fits in everywhere. She's been having trouble because of the crews."

"What kind of trouble?"

"The Equinox people don't associate much with her because she is trying to fit in with the Voyager crew and the Voyager crew won't have a thing to do with her because she was part of the Equinox incident," Neelix explained. "It seems that only two people talk to her in a non-work manner. Me and Naomi."

Janeway nodded in understanding. "Go on about the holidays."

"Since next Thursday is the fourth Thursday in November, it is Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Terran Christmas season," Neelix went on. "Tammie suggested a month long celebration of the important holidays of the races on board. Vulcan Da'tere, Bajoran Gratitude Festival, Klingon Day of Honor, Talaxian Prixin and Terran Christmas and Thanksgiving to begin and end."

"You have studied the rituals concerning these holidays," Tuvok asked in a way that didn't sound like a question. "For instance the Vulcan Da'tere involves a day of fasting and meditation."

"I have studied it thoroughly, Mr. Vulcan," Neelix said. "I am going to schedule it as a rest day in the middle of the month. You and Mr. Vorik can celebrate it on the holodeck in the traditional manner while the rest of the crew celebrates it with a break from celebration and Vulcan food. The celebrations aren't just an excuse to party, they will be a symbol of our crews."

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "I do believe that will be acceptable."

Janeway smiled. "How do you intend to begin this month of holidays?"

"By giving thanks just as the Americans did in past centuries," Neelix said. "A feast!"

"Are you cooking?" Tom asked with a smile.

"Well, I'll have to replicate a lot of traditional food," Neelix said. "Turkey, potatoes and something called Pumpkin Pie."

"We have a lot of extra power stored up," B'Elanna said. "We could give extra replicator rations to the crew so they can get gifts. I know that Christmas tradition calls for it."

"Plus on Saturday," Neelix continued. "The Equinox crew is going to give a talent show."

"How did you pull that off?" Chakotay asked.

"Tammie is going to try to pull it off," Neelix replied.

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"What are we doing here?" One of the former crew of Equinox, Noah Lessing, asked.

Tammie had the twelve survivors of Equinox squeezed into the small quarters that she shared with three other members of the crew. "Neelix and I are working on some thing," Tammie said. "A talent show. And *WE* are going to be performing in it."

"Oh yeah," someone said behind Tammie's back. "Let's show off the freaks."

Tammie turned to the group behind her, unsure of which had spoken. "Look," she said. "We're going to be stuck on this ship with these people for a very long time. We might as well try to make friends or it is going to be one very lonely lifetime." The crowd quieted. "Now, everyone participates. Or I'll have Neelix feeding you his worst concoction for a month."

"We ate bad food on Equinox," Marla Gilmore said.

"Yeah, but we HAD to then," Tammie replied. "I want everyone to tell me what they're going to do before we leave here."

"What are YOU going to do?"

"If it makes you feel better," Tammie said. "I'm going to sing. Anyone who wants to back me up, with instruments or voice, I'll be glad to take. And if anyone else needs help, I would be glad to do so." She paused. "So what's it going to be?"

Trystan Gelman, one of the lower ensigns from Equinox, raised his hand hesitantly. "My uncle was a hypno-therapist and he taught me the techniques. I could ask for volunteers and make a show out of it."

Tammie smiled. "That's a good start," she said. "Who's next?"

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"And that was Brian Sofin with that rousing rendition of Jingle Bells played on his cheeks," Neelix said as Tammie winced and hid her face with her hands. "Next, we have James Morrow with," he paused to look at the Padd he was holding and winced. "The William Tell overture on the spoons."

Tammie moaned. "And they said they were great acts," she murmured.

Neelix came to join her at the side of the stage. "They're doing this on purpose," Tammie told him. "To make me look bad."

"Crewman Gelman wasn't too bad with his hypnotist act," Neelix said as Morrow dropped a spoon.

"I've got it," he said with a laugh to moans from the audience. He picked it up and tried it again as Tammie moaned and covered her face again. "Unfortunately, the rest leave much to be desired," she replied.

After a long and arduous act, he bowed and left the stage to applause. Neelix took his place on stage as Tammie adjusted her pale blue dress. Since she had no clothing outside of the Starfleet issue uniforms she wore on duty, she had had to borrow it. And since no one from the former Equinox crew had wanted to sing backup for her, she had asked the Voyager Quartet to accompany her. It had taken a lot of talking and several threats from Neelix, but she had convinced them finally.

Neelix clapped respectfully as he took the stage. "Thank you Crewman. That was… interesting. Now we have Crewman Dayton whit the twenty-first century son, 'I hope you Dance'."

The music started and Tammie began to sing. Everyone quieted and paid attention to her singing. The last part, where she was joined by the quartet scattered through the audience, startled them. As she sang the words, _I hope you Daaaance, I hope you Dance_," the quartet sang, "_Who wants to look back on their youth and wonder where on Earth it's gone_." 

When she finished, there was silence, then Marla Gilmore began to clap. She was joined by Neelix, then Noah Lessing, then Captain Janeway who stood with tears in her eyes. Slowly the entire crew, former Equinox and Voyager alike, were standing and applauding. Even the quartet, who had been wary of joining her, were clapping steadily. For the first time since she came on board after the incident, she felt welcome.

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Four weeks later on Christmas Eve...

"'Twas the night before Christmas," Tammie began. She was dressed in a borrowed green dress that shimmered and had soft red trim. Neelix entered through the door to the mess hall dressed in an old fashioned nightshirt and cap. Chuckles sounded from the audience as Neelix went through the motions of acting out the story.

"And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Neelix looked at the audience. "Not in **_MY_** kitchen," he said to laughter.

Tammie continued with a smile. "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

Neelix made a production of hanging stockings by the replicator. He turned to look at the audience over his shoulder. "No fireplace," he said, once again to laughter.

"In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there," Tammie said as Neelix tried to look up his makeshift chimney.

"How is he EVER going to fit into that thing?" Neelix asked with a shrug.

"Very carefully," Tammie commented to snickers from the crowd. "The children were nestled all snug in their beds..."

"I am **_NOT_** going to bed this early!" exclaimed Naomi Wildman from the audience. Laughter filled the room again.

"As visions of sugarplums danced in their heads..."

"What's a sugarplum?" Kathryn Janeway asked.

Tammie turned to Neelix with a smile before going on. This was turning out better than they had hoped. "And mama in her kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap..."

"I hope that means hibernation," Tom Paris commented. "I could do without leola root stew for a few days."

Neelix gave him a dirty look as Tammie went on. "When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter..."

Neelix made a production out of leaping across the makeshift stage where Doc caught him with his holocam in mid air. "Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash..." Neelix threw open an imaginary window and pretended to squeeze his head out. "The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave a luster of mid day to objects below..."

Neelix pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his cap and put them on to even more laughter from the audience. "When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer..."

"One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight," Neelix counted quickly. "Yup, all there." More laughter.

"With a little old driver so lively and quick, I know in a moment he must be Saint Nick..."

Neelix looked out his pretend window, then to the makeshift fireplace then back out the window. "Just HOW is he going to fit down that thing?"

"Very carefully," Tammie repeated then went on with the story. "More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name..." She paused to look at Neelix.

"I'm waiting...," he said with a shrug.

"Now, DASHER! Now, DANCER! Now, PRANCER and VIXEN! On, COMET! On CUPID! On, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

"That was a mouthful," Kathryn commented.

"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky..."

"Look out you're gonna...," Neelix began with a ducking motion. "Whew." He wiped his brow. "Barely missed," he said as an aside to the audience who laughed again.

"So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too..."

"How's it going?" Neelix asked with his head out the imaginary window as he tipped his nightcap.

"Then in a twinkling I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof..."

"That's right," Neelix said as he looked out his "window." "Put holes in my roof."

"As I drew in my head, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound." At that moment, Chakotay appeared near the makeshift chimney dressed as Santa Claus having been transported into the party with perfect timing. The audience laughed once again.

"He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot..."

"He'd better not stain the carpets," Neelix said as he flung the glasses from his face and turned from the invisible window to peek around an imaginary wall at Chakotay.

"A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack..." Chakotay set down the red sack from his back and began placing brightly wrapped packages beneath the Christmas tree.

"So that's why they wanted our presents wrapped by today..." B'Elanna said.

"His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!" Chakotay turned and winked at the audience, the fake beard tucked under his chin. Doc snapped another holo.

"You have **GOT** to tell me how you talked him into that," Kathryn said with a chuckle.

"His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!"

"Yeah right," B'Elanna snorted.

"His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow..."

"Looks a little gray to me," Tom said as he brushed a hand over his own head of hair. Chakotay flashed him a look.

Tammie went on, trying not to laugh. "The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath..."

"What no pipe?" Kathryn asked snidely.

"I don't smoke," "Santa" replied.

"Hey," Neelix put in. "That was my line."

The audience laughed as Tammie rolled her eyes. "He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly..."

Neelix poked Chakotay's fake stomach. "More like mush," he said.

"He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself..."

Chakotay stood over Neelix with a weird grin on his face. "Yeah, yeah," Neelix said. "Ha, ha."

"A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread..."

"Like I'd ever be afraid of this pile of mush," Neelix said as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. Chakotay snarled back then turned to fill the stockings.

"Not very becoming from Saint Nick," Kathryn said as Tammie tried to compose herself to go on.

"He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings then turned with a jerk..."

"I don't think you're a jerk," Tom said. "Obnoxious sometimes, but never a jerk." Chakotay snarled at him.

"And laying his finger aside of his nose." Chakotay did so with his left hand. "And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose..."

As he nodded, he tapped his combadge hidden in the folds of his Santa suit with his elbow then disappeared in the sparkle of a transporter beam.

"He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle..."

"How did he DO that?" Neelix asked.

"Very carefully!" the audience said together, much to Tammie's delight.

"But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight..."

Chakotay entered through the regular door, sans the Santa suit, and the three players said together, "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

They bowed amidst the applause of their audience then straightened to have their picture snapped by Doc one last time.

Neelix pulled the nightshirt off as Chakotay took a place near Kathryn and Tammie tapped away at a PADD.

"The show is almost over," Neelix said. "But we do have a couple of special things. After everyone liked Tammie so much at the Thanksgiving talent show, I asked her to sing us some traditional Christmas music."

Tammie started background music to the song, 'Holly Jolly Christmas' by touching a key on her PADD. She wandered through the crowd as she sang and, noticing the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling over Kathryn and Chakotay, sauntered over in time to sing a certain line which she hoped one of the two would follow.

"_Oh, ho, the mistletoe, hung where you can see_," she sang as she pointed to the sprig above them. "_Somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me_..."

Chakotay took Kathryn in his arms, dipped her and kissed her passionately on the lips, shocking the entire assemblage, Kathryn included. He set her back on her feet as the crew looked on in shock.

Tammie missed two lines of the song in shock then began singing the wrong verse. Quickly, she corrected herself and walked on rolling her eyes with a smile.

That song finished, she gestured to Harry Kim who joined her with his clarinet. He played the opening to a song alone as Tammie hummed. "Can you play up two octaves?" Harry nodded and changed the key. Once the intro was finished, Tammie began to sing in a voice like a bell.

"_I'll be home for Christmas_," she sang. "_You can count on me_."

All noise in the crowded room stopped. Not a cough, not a breath, not a sound came while Tammie sang and Harry played. Chakotay turned to Kathryn and found that she had a tear running down her face. Gently, he wiped it away then took her hand and squeezed it.

"_I'll be home for Chri-istmas. If only in my dreams_," Tammie sang then began that section over. "_Christmas eve will find you. Where the love light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas. If on-ly... in... my-y... dreams_." Harry stopped playing in the silence. When there was no response, he looked at Tammie who looked at him and shrugged slightly. Both looked back to the audience and waited.

Kathryn started first, her hands clapping in the silence of the room. Then she was joined by Chakotay, then Tom and B'Elanna. It wasn't long until the whole crowd was giving Harry and Tammie a standing ovation.

With red eyes and tears streaming down he face, Kathryn stepped forward to hug the two officers then turn to address the group. They quieted quickly for their captain.

"May we all be home by next year," she said as she gripped Harry's hand in one hand and Tammie's in the other. "So we don't have to be there in our dreams."

"Home is in our heart," Tammie said with a squeeze to Kathryn's hand.

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The End


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